Mangalorean Coconut Rice

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Vintage Apricot Pudding

Apricot Coconut Pudding

Apricots and coconut are two of my favourite ingredients and I am always trying out new combinations to see how they turn out.  This was a successful attempt and enjoyed by those I served it to.  It is quick to make and it is surprisingly delicious.

25 dried apricots; 1 tbsp unflavoured gelatin; 2 cups thick coconut milk- made yourself using 1 medium sized coconut, grated or instant coconut milk from the supermarket; 1/4 cup sugar; 1/2 tsp vanilla essence; a pich of salt.

Soak the apricots overnight in 300 ml hot water.  Next day stone them, crack the nuts and reserve kernels for use in the pudding.  Cook on medium heat in the soaked water until the water evaporates.  The apricots should be whole and not mushy.  Divide in half.

To Make the Coconut Milk:  Grind the grated coconut in 2 cups warm water.  Strain and keep aside.

If using Powder:  Mix two cups warm water with a 50 gm packet coconut powder.  Beat together with a whisk to avoid lumps.

If using ready made coconut milk, use two cups of 250 ml each.

Sprinkle gelatin over 1 cup of coconut milk and keep aside until the gelatin has bloomed.  This takes about 15 to 20 minutes or more.  

Simmer the sugar, salt, remaining cup of coconut milk

 on medium low heat for 5 minutes, gently stirring all the while.  Pour this over the gelatin mixture and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved.

Take a pyrex dish and put half the apricots in a layer on the bottom.  Pour half the gelatin mixture over the apricots and set in the refrigerator for 15 minutes until slightly set.  Place the second half of the apricots on the set pudding and add the remaining gelatin mixture on top. Scatter the reserved kernels over the gelatin mixture.  Return to the refrigerator and set overnight.  Next day un mould and serve or just dig in with a spoon and serve on elegant plates.

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Ruth Isaac

Clams With Spinach

Traditional Mangalorean Clams With Spinach

Another traditional recipe that I miss which was a frequent dish in our house at least twice a month.  Every house had a chapra (frame) of basale (spinach)  growing in their garden and we could pluck it anytime we wanted to cook it.  Fresh and green and oh so delicious.  Cooked with fresh clams and freshly ground coconut and other condiments, this is a lip smacking, simple delight.

The Recipe:

500 gms of Indian spinach or basale, cut into finger sized pieces discarding the tough stems; 1/2 cup Indian Dhal (Tur dhal or yellow lentils); 1 kg  clams; salt to taste.

Masala:  Grind 1/4 cup grated coconut; 3 tsp coriander seeds; 1/4 tsp mustard; 2 pinch cumin seeds; 6 black pepper corns; 1/4 tsp turmeric powder; 4 flakes of garlic; 1 tsp chilli powder; 1 onion.  Consistency should be a thick, smooth paste.

Seasoning:  1 sprig curry leaves; 1/4 tsp mustard; 2 flakes crushed garlic; 1 tbsp oil.

Wash clams in running water till all the grit and sand is removed and water is clear.

Pressure cook the spinach and dhal with 250 ml water for 7 minutes.  Remove from stove. Open the cooker after 10 minutes cooling time and stir in the masala.  Return to the stove and add the clams.  They will open out within minutes.  Simmer for 3 minutes.  Add salt to taste.  Remove from stove and keep hot.

Heat oil in a shallow pan.  Add mustard and when it spurts, add the curry leaves.  Stir for a couple of minutes and then add the crushed garlic.  Fry till garlic is golden brown.  Pour it over the cooked Spinach and Clams  and serve hot with plain rice and home made mango pickle.

NB:  Can use prawns instead of clams.

Marbled Coconut Panna Cotta

Sinfully Yours

And so the celebration continues ...and today it was a sinful dessert- a fusion of east and west .  A delightful combination of thick coconut milk mixed with cream and sugar and a few black cherries thrown it.  This is a very light, creamy concoction that could go straight to your heart (and waist line).  What the heck, we are on the Herbalife shake and can afford to do this once in a while.

The Recipe:

1 cup thick coconut milk; 1 cup cream; 1/4 cup caster sugar or to taste; 2 tbsp gelatine ; 1/4 cup hot water; few black cherries or any fruit of your choice; few drops pink food colouring.

Sprinkle the getatine on the hot water and keep aside to dissolve.  Heat the coconut milk on a medium flame until bubbles begin to form at the sides.  Remove from the stove.  Gently fold in the cream and sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved.  Once the getatine has dissolved completely stir it into the coconut milk and cream mixture.  Divide the mixture into two.  Pour one half into a glass bowl and pop it into the freezer for 15 minutes or until partially set.  Add the pink food colouring to the second half.  Next pour the pink mixture onto the partially set Pannacotta and using a wooden toothpick give it a swirl or two to create a marbled appearance.  Transfer to the refrigerator and when partially set, decorate with cherries or fruits of your choice.  Creamy, rich and absolutely wonderful.

Christmas Pie

 Effortless Christmas Pie

I have been having a blast this season baking and cooking to my hearts content.  I have tried out new recipes and baked a variety of cakes to give away to friends and also sent a couple to Bangalore in my daughter's suitcase.  And another went to Germany with a friend's niece.  Some time ago I came across this pie recipe which which seemed very easy.  Somehow I have never had the confidence to make pies.  This recipe instructed the reader to just throw everything in a blender and dump it into a dish and bake it.  That's about all I did  (except that I played around with the ingredients)and the result- a golden yellow, astonishing concoction with the bottom like a pudding, the centre like a cake in texture and a crusty, chewy  top.  The fragrance made my house smell like Christmas and when I scraped the dish, I wish I had made more of this Effortless Christmas Pie.

The Recipe:

1/4 cup flour; 2 large eggs; 2 tsp vanilla essence; 1/2 cup coconut milk powder; 1/2 cup desiccated coconut; 1/4 cup almond meal; 60 gm salted butter at room temperature; 1/2 cup caster sugar; 1 cup low fat milk; 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg.

Blend all the above ingredients together except the nutmeg till well mixed.  The mixture will be a pouring consistency.  Pour into greased and floured pyrex dish.  Sprinkle the grated nutmeg on top and bake in pre heated oven at 180 degrees centigrade for exactly 45 minutes.  Skewer inserted in centre should come out clean.  Serve piping hot with icecream or custard.  It's also scrumptious on its own.

Christmas Apricot Coconut Cake

Unusual Apricot Coconut 

I am always on the prowl for any recipe that includes Apricots.  This year I came across an unusual combination of Apricot and Coconut.  Since I've never tried this before, I decided to experiment and the result was a melt in the mouth Unusual Christmas Apricot Coconut Cake.  Just the thing for party time and with a glass of Apricot Liqueur.

The Recipe:

250 gms butter; 2 cups brown sugar; 3 cups self raising flour; 5 large eggs; 2 cups chopped, dried apricots; 1 cup desiccated coconut; 1/2 cup Apricot liqueur; 2 tsp vanilla essence; 1 dsp desiccated coconut for sprinkling on top.

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl.  Cream with wooden spoon till glossy.  Pour into two  greased  and lined 9 inch square pans or into cup cake cases (I made a large cake and some cup cakes too) and bake at 175 degrees Centigrade for 45 minutes or until skewer inserted in centre comes out clean.  Cool and sprinkle desiccated coconut on top just before serving.  Spend the evening nibbling this Unusual Apricot Coconut Cake and sipping home made Apricot Liqueur.  

Exotic Banana Leaf Fish

Banana Leaf Fish Parcel        

October was indeed a month for feasting and I for one really enjoyed it.  This is a traditional recipe made by my sister Anu and all of us smacked our lips in anticipation and enjoyed the wonderful outcome.

The Recipe:

1 large fish - 2 kg , scaled and cleaned and kept whole.  Wash, rub with turmeric and salt and keep aside to drain.  Make gashes with sharp knife on both sides to rub in the masala.

Large banana leaves to wrap the fish.  Oil for deep frying the fish.

Masala:  1 tsp chilli powder; 1/4 tsp turmeric; 3 tbsp ginger garlic paste; 1 tsp black pepper powder; 1 onion, quartered; 1/8 medium coconut grated; salt to taste.  Grind to a smooth paste and marinade fish overnight in this masala

For Gravy:  3 large onions, sliced fine; 2 sprigs curry leaves; 2 tomatoes chopped fine; chilli powder and salt to taste; oil for seasoning.

Deep fry fish on both sides to a golden brown.  Drain and place in the centre of banana leaf retaining remaining masala for the gravy.  Fold the leaf into a parcel and tie with string.   Bake in a preheated oven at 200 C 15 minutes each side or until skewer inserted in centre comes out clean.

Next, make the gravy.  Heat 3 tbsp oil in a nonsick pan.  Add the curry leaves and onions and fry to a golden brown.  Throw in the tomatoes and stir fry till thick and gravyish.  Add salt  and chilli powder to taste and a little water if required.  Mix in the remaining masala marinade.    Simmer for 5 minutes.

Untie the banana leaf and pour the gravy over the baked fish.  Garnish or decorate as you please.  Serve with white rice and vegetables of your choice.  A most impressive dish.    The outcome is phenomenal.  We all admired it for a while before attacking it.  And wiped the platter clean.  Hats off to Anu for this Exotic Banana Leaf Fish.

Spicy Mangalorean Clams

Shellfish Divine

This was one of my favourite dishes as a child back in Mangalore.  Every time we visited our grandparents in Kundapoor, we would contrive and look forward to going to the river to pick clams (shellfish) and have a rip roaring time doing so.  Once, we slipped away in the rain and used our umbrellas to collect the shellfish and were so engrossed in our endeavours that we failed to notice the tide had crept in and there we were stranded in the middle of the river.  The boatmen came to our rescue and I still remember the whacking we got.  Nothing could dim our enjoyment of this delicious dish and I urge you to try it too.

The Recipe:

100 shellfish (Molee in Kannada)- wash in running water till all the sand is removed.  Previously we used a foot knife (mettu kathi in Kannada) on which we sat and expertly cut the cockles in half, discarding the empty shells.  Nowadays, I just boil them whole in 1/4 cup water for one minute and wait for them to open, retaining the half with the shellfish.

For Masala: 10 red chillies or to taste; 1/4 tsp mustard seeds; 1 dsp corriander seeds; 1 pinch jeera seeds (cumin); 1/2 tsp khus- khus (poppy seeds); 6 pepper corns; 3 cloves garlic; 1 onion; 1/4 tsp turmeric powder; 3 tbsp grated coconut (fresh or dry- use whatever's available).   Roast the dry ingredients in a pan  on medium heat till crisp; cool and grind with 1/8 cup water to form a thick paste.

For Seasoning:  1 medium onion, sliced fine; 2 sprigs curry leaves; oil for seasoning.  Heat oil and throw in the curry leaves.  Fry for a minute or two.  Add the onions and fry on medium heat till golden brown.  Keep aside until required.

Add masala to boiled shellfish and simmer three minutes.  Stir in the seasoning and remove from fire.  Serve hot with white rice and dhall.  This is one of the most delicious meals one can ever have.

NB:  Instead of cockles  crabs or prawns and potatoes could be used.  Equally delicious.

There's nothing like traditional food to tickle the palate.